Voting is open
Lieutenant Arisukawa Haruna

Balance Stats
❁ • Work / Life • ❁
❁ • ❁ Warrior / Princess ❁ • ❁
❁ • ❁ Radical / Respectable ❁ • ❁


Tactical Stats
Gunnery 0, Navigation +2, Command +2, Technology -4, Personal -2, Strategy +3

Stress: 3


PLEASE READ THE QUEST RULES BELOW

You collectively vote on the actions of Arisukawa Haruna, the first woman to serve openly in the Imperial Akitsukuni Navy.

This quest is set in a universe which is much like our own circa 1910, but with different politics, cultural norms, and ideas about gender and sexuality, as well as some unusual and advanced technology in places.

We are using this quest to explore themes like breaking the glass ceiling, divergent outlooks on gender and sexuality, colonialism and imperialism, and the place of royalty.

Content Warning
This quest goes some dark places.

There is violence, often explicit, often unfair, often against undeserving targets.

There are not always good options forward. The protagonist is not necessarily a good person.

There is implied content and discussion of sexual harassment and assault.

This is a world where people are often racist, sexist, queerphobic bigots. Sometimes, even the PC and the people they are friends with.

Voting Rules

We will tell you if write-in votes are allowed. If we do not say that write-ins are allowed, they are not. This is to prevent people from unrealistically hedging their bets.

You may proposal other options in a non-vote format, subject to approval, on non write-in votes.

We will tell you when a vote allows approved voting. If we don't say the answer is no, pick an option. We like making people commit.

Discussions makes the GM feel fuzzy.

Game Rules
When we ask you for a roll, roll 3d6. You are aiming to roll equal or under the value of your stat. If you succeed, Haruna gets through the situation with no real difficulties. If you roll above the target value, Haruna will still succeed, but this success will cost her something or add a complication.

Whenever Haruna loses something or faces hardship from a botched roll, she takes Stress. The more Stress Haruna has, the more the job and the circumstances she's in will get to her, and it'll be reflected in the narrative. Haruna must be kept under 10 Stress: if she reaches 10 Stress, she will suffer a breakdown and the results will not be great for her.

Haruna loses stress by taking time for herself, by making meaningful progress on her dreams, and by kissing tall, beautiful women.

Meta Rules
Author commentary is in italics so you know it's not story stuff.

Please don't complain about the system or the fact we have to roll dice. We've heard it before, we've heard it a thousand times across multiple quests. We're not going to change it, and it wears at our fucking souls.

Just going "oh noooo" or "Fish RNGesus Why!" is fun and fine. Complaining at length because you didn't get what you want less so.

If you have a question, tag both @open_sketchbook and @Artificial Girl. If you only tag one of us, you will be ignored. Seriously, we both write this quest.

And yes this is an alt-history type setting with openly gay and trans people, ahistoric medicine, and weird politics. Just... deal, please?

This quest employs a special system called Snippet Votes. Please read this post for more information.
 
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[X] Aiko, are you really happy with what we have?

I'd rather just cuddle but i don't think that will ever be an option.
 
"I… see." You didn't like the way this conversation made you feel. It put you on your back foot. Not something you were used to when dealing with anyone, least of all servants.

"And that's supposed to be a joke. No one wears that. It would be scandalous."

She looked at you suspiciously. "Sure. Are you that sad to see me go?"

"...Good luck, Min-Seo." You finally said after a long silence, unsure of what else could be said. "Thank you for all your help. I'll leave the wages I owe you for the last two weeks with the administration."

That got her to glance up from the magazine. She smiled quickly, small, barely perceptible.

"Thanks, boss."
Heh. We've actually gotten a bit of respect out someone beaten into cynicism.
A few hours later you were on the train to the south. The trip home was fairly smooth, though you spent an interminable eight hours waiting around and doing nothing waiting for your transport to sail. That trip was delayed because the transports were backed up: they were moving so many wounded back home.
And of course, Imperial Japanese logistics are still not up to the task that has been given them. And probably never will.
There was a ward set up in an old warehouse that you mistakenly entered due a mix-up in directions, the building packed with what had to be a thousand stretchers and beds containing wounded men.
... oh damn it, there's going to be a fucking outbreak if someone's not careful with packing sick and injured soldiers in like sardines.

Or maybe I'm just being a drama queen and underestimating the size and sanitation of the warehouse.
A couple hours later, you were lazily running your fingers along Aiko's bare back, watching her as the two of you lay in tangled sheets. You couldn't get over how beautiful she was. How much you had missed her. You didn't want to have to leave again in only a few short days, didn't want to have to leave her side. That was the nature of your duty though, wasn't it? You would probably never really be home the way others were--you would always be somewhere, if you had you way, stationed on a ship of the Imperial Navy. You'd go mad cooped up on shore.
The perpetual conflict of any soldier with a relationship, and that of the soldier's significant other: How to maintain it under the most stressful of conditions.
[ ] Aiko, are you cheating on me?
Yeah no. Not the word to use. Maybe if it was 'did you have sex with someone else', but not the 'c' word.
[ ] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?
This, to me, cuts to the core of the issue. But despite my disagreement with the ultimate choice, I think Nyvis has gotten the right analysis. There's a fundamental difference between how Haruna and Akio view the relationship by the very nature of their roles in life, to say nothing of their actual viewpoints. That is grounds for miscommunication, that the nature of 'this' will be lost in translation.
[ ] Aiko, are you really happy with what we have?
The third option, a kind of middle ground. But one that does not get to the matter at hand. Even if Akio is happy now, the long term must be addressed. If Akio and Haruna cannot talk frankly and honestly about the difficulties they each must bear because of being in love the other, then the relationship is doomed. Putting it off will only lead to greater heartbreak.

[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?
We must address it. Lest a better time be known right now, we must pull the trigger.
 
Oh no people are super going to get sick. This is just two weeks after the April Offensive, the Akitsukuni Army is completely fucked on all levels. This is mostly invisible to Haruna, but it weighed a lot heavier on the minds of, say, Yachi and Asuka.
 
Yeah, good analysis @Always Late.

[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?

I'm also glad to see Min-Seo getting something that works for her.

Oh no people are super going to get sick. This is just two weeks after the April Offensive, the Akitsukuni Army is completely fucked on all levels. This is mostly invisible to Haruna, but it weighed a lot heavier on the minds of, say, Yachi and Asuka.
Well, someone tell Haruna! Army-Navy relations are such that we might knock another Stress off :lol
 
Oh no people are super going to get sick. This is just two weeks after the April Offensive, the Akitsukuni Army is completely fucked on all levels. This is mostly invisible to Haruna, but it weighed a lot heavier on the minds of, say, Yachi and Asuka.
... Right, that was the point a month-ish before the whole final Caspian offensive with the fucking Tzar Tanks.

Hopefully we get one of those subs that's making Caspian shipping get the first taste of anti-shipping warfare.
 
[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?

I like this, because it is direct about the underlying problem (ie, unwanted separation) and it is an optimistic framing. (Not 'can we make this work?' but 'how do we'.)

I do think we need to talk about expectations around other partners, on both sides, and we need to phrase this in terms of how it makes both of them feel about the other sleeping around rather than just coming down with a boundary and an ultimatum, but since it's kinda a consequence of the real problem, discuss that first.

Then we can maybe segway into 'not bisexual, lesbian' and kids/families. Idk. I like our engineer girlfriend but we either need to shake some social mobility loose from somewhere and elevate her family, or else start planning how to go loud and proud with the relationship, and leverage it into a positive for a 'peoples' princess' public persona...
 
[X] Aiko, are you really happy with what we have?

Oh no people are super going to get sick. This is just two weeks after the April Offensive, the Akitsukuni Army is completely fucked on all levels. This is mostly invisible to Haruna, but it weighed a lot heavier on the minds of, say, Yachi and Asuka.
Oh fuck me.

There's been theories that one of the reasons Spanish Flu spread so fast was it basically got to incubate on tightly packed in tents, troopships, troop trains.....

I really hope that's not a thing here. Because while it wasn't "too bad" in the US, well, it basically went through SE Asia and Africa like a lawnmover through grass.
 
There's been theories that one of the reasons Spanish Flu spread so fast was it basically got to incubate on tightly packed in tents, troopships, troop trains.....
That's not a theory, IIRC. That's pretty well accepted what happened.
I really hope that's not a thing here. Because while it wasn't "too bad" in the US, well, it basically went through SE Asia and Africa like a lawnmover through grass.
Whether it's the Spanish Flu or something else, the nation isn't ready to handle mass death on a scale that can only be called industrial. And as such, more will die that could be saved, both from wounds and from disease.
 
Whether it's the Spanish Flu or something else, the nation isn't ready to handle mass death on a scale that can only be called industrial. And as such, more will die that could be saved, both from wounds and from disease.
Yeah, add in the fact it's been theorized there's a link between the flu and Schizophrenia...

While for good measure, we're literally in the one demographic that basically got mauled the worse, unusually, and I really hope we're not that unlucky.
 
While for good measure, we're literally in the one demographic that basically got mauled the worse, unusually, and I really hope we're not that unlucky.
We're wealthy and a protagonist. If a minor pandemic breaks out near Haruna, she will endure something she's had before and might call far worse than a slow, painful death.

Survivor's guilt.
 
[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?

This isn't just an issue with Aiko. The other leading option has Haruna...eliding her own doubts and insecurities and just putting it all on Aiko (Are you really happy?).

This is the vote that focuses on them as equals. That they might both have difficulties and problems, and asks what they both should do. I think this is the best foundation for a discussion, that they both need to figure out how to make this work, that they both have needs and difficulties that need addressed.
 
[] Aiko, are you really happy with what we have?

Yeah, I don't really like this option because we have no good ways to proceed if she says 'yes', without it becoming a breakup talk.
 
[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?

The nature of this statement really changes depending on the tone in which we ask the question. It could be skeptical, expressing doubt about the viability of the relationship, or it could be hopeful, trying to solve a major problem (for Haruna at least) to produce a healthier relationship.

I choose to believe it's the latter.
 
I think I'll go with this one.

[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?

That trip was delayed because the transports were backed up: they were moving so many wounded back home. There was a ward set up in an old warehouse that you mistakenly entered due a mix-up in directions, the building packed with what had to be a thousand stretchers and beds containing wounded men.
... oh damn it, there's going to be a fucking outbreak if someone's not careful with packing sick and injured soldiers in like sardines.

Or maybe I'm just being a drama queen and underestimating the size and sanitation of the warehouse.

The 1918 Flu Pandemic was a thing that happened...

Spanish flu - Wikipedia

 
[X] Aiko, how are we supposed to make this work when we're always apart?
 
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